I know we can all relate when I say we are guilty of picking out the sugariest, biggest, milkiest Starbucks drinks out there when we go for a caffeine pick-me-up.
I was guilty once too, until I found out what a green tea latte was! A green tea latte, or matcha latte, uses green tea in it’s purest form which comes in a powder and is referred to as “matcha”. Matcha contains all the nutrients of green tea, but in more abundant quantities since it is a purer form.
A long standing tradition of Japanese culture, matcha is the highest quality powdered green tea available. Made from the nutrient-rich young leaves, it is steamed, stemmed, and de-vined before being stone-ground into very fine powder.
Since I’ve been into matcha, I’ve noticed it can be used in all sorts of things. You can throw it in a smoothie, drink it hot or iced in a latte, bake it into cookies, the possibilities are endless!
At Starbucks, you can order a green tea latte and it’s delicious, or you can take it a step further and make your own. The green tea latte at Starbucks comes sweetened by default, so be sure to ask for unsweetened, or customize the number of pumps of classic syrup. I only need one pump (as opposed to two) for a tall size, or two pumps (as opposed to four) for a grande size to achieve a perfect level of sweetness without the added sugar intake.
If you want to take it to the next level and make your own, here’s how I make mine:
- Add a teaspoon of matcha powder and a small amount of almond milk (unsweetened original, or your own preference) to a bowl and whisk until all the small chunks of powder are gone.
- Pour the contents of the bowl into a cup of almond milk and stir it all together.
- If iced, add ice! If hot, heat until you reach a comfortable temperature.
- If you need to sweeten it, opt for a sweetener option like agave.
Comment below if you’ve never heard of matcha before until now! Let me know your thoughts and your experience if you decide to try it one day, whether you make your own or from Starbucks.